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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · bear · ball · vault · stick · face · clip · temple

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. clip — for paper
  5. face — part of the head
  6. clip — to cut
  7. present — the time now
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. face — to confront
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. clip — a video
  23. vault — a safe
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com